How bizarre can history get? You might not know this, but there was a time when a country’s army declared war on a strange species of bird—and astonishingly, they lost. This is the story of “The Great Emu War“ of 1932 in Australia, a tale that will completely change the way you think about history.
The Cause of the War: Emu’s Attack
In 1932, farmers in Western Australia were in a desperate situation. Not only were their crops suffering from a drought, but more than 20,000 Emu birds, Australia’s large native birds, were destroying their fields in search of food. The emus completely ruined the crops. The farmers asked the Australian army for help. The army thought it would be a small and easy operation.
The Battle Begins
The army, led by Major G.P.W. Meredith, entered the emu territory with 7 soldiers and two machine guns. On November 2, 1932, the war began. The army moved forward and attacked the emus. But what happened next was something no one could have predicted.
The emus showed a surprising military tactic. When the army first used the machine guns, the emus ran, but they ran in different directions so fast that aiming became impossible. That day, the army was able to kill only about 12 emus, while there were thousands.
The Emu’s Victory
The army tried for the next few days as well, but they could not match the speed and cunning of the emu birds. The emus’ bodies could take a surprising number of bullets, but they still did not die. Some emus kept running even after being hit by more than 10 bullets.
The army finally abandoned the operation on December 10, 1932, and returned. They had only managed to kill a few hundred emus, while their goal was to kill thousands. This is why this event is known as “The Great Emu War.”
Conclusion
This event in history proves that sometimes, human arrogance and technology can be defeated by the power and strange actions of nature. The Great Emu War reminds us that the world’s weirdest stories are often the most truthful.
